Symbolism in Tron Legacy

I saw Tron Legacy tonight and here are some thoughts on the symbolism that I noticed in no particular order.

Flynn is creator of the grid and is also the spiritual hero/christ figure. He is creator, yet sacrifices himself to save both the real world and his creation.

The creation of the grid was done by a three people, Flynn, Clue and Tron - a trinity.

Clue was created in Flynn's own image, but fell into corruption.

Clue picked up an apple in Flynn's headquarter's. The apple reminded him of his fall.

The apple also represents knowledge of good and evil - the ability to make correct and just judgments. Flynn, after all this time, now realizes that he did not aspire true perfection. He realizes now that true perfection would have been to sacrifice his own interests for his loved ones - namely his son.

Flynn sacrificed himself to preserve a new and improved humanity - he ensured the last remaining ISO, Quorra, would live. 

Finally, Sam, the action hero, was a true super user (I'm sure this Linux joke has already been made).

Toy Story 3

I'm not usually one to go out to see a movie because theaters are fairly expensive for a one time viewing of the movie, but I got the privilege to obtain two free tickets from my girlfriend's family. I had to see Toy Story 3 because I feel like I practically grew up with Andy and his toys, being around the same age as him during the first two and graduating 13 days before Toy Story 3 (which is about him graduating and about to go off to college). Toy Story has always been my favorite Pixar series growing up.

The movie is about what Andy is going to do with his toys while he was going away to college. He decides to take Woody with him (I would do the same thing with my favorite toy from my childhood) and instead of donating his old toys to a daycare he decides to put them up in his attic. His mom mistakes the trash bag full of toys for garbage and they are put out with the trash. Sooner or later the toys sneak into a box of toys being donated by his sister and they end up in the daycare.

Woody ends up with the toys in an attempt to talk the toys out of staying at the daycare. The toys soon find out that the daycare that seemed to be everything they've ever wanted was actually quite a totalitarian system run by a tyrannical stuffed teddy-bear.






A Stalin-bear, if you will


I'm not trying to spoil anything so I'm going to stop there. The movie is very emotional, along with witty and just hilarious. If you are a fan of Toy Story, this movie is bound to make you cry. Probably the best animated film that's going to be out this year. The only thing I disliked about the whole thing was that it was 3D, and it kinda hurts my eyes. This movie deserves at least a 9 out of ten.

Red Dead Redemption Hype Week: Two Mules for Sister Sara

Our next movie for Red Dead Redemption Hype Week exemplifies the diversity of the Wild West. In other words, culture clash!

Hogan, your typical cowboy mercenary for hire, saves a woman being attacked by three drunks who would have otherwise killed her. Hogan is shocked when she comes back just a minute later dressed a nun! That's right. A nun in the lawless wild on a trip to help the Mexican revolutionaries fight off the French!

The cast of characters seems to be as diverse as the people we'll meet in Red Dead Redemption. Nothing says "Melting Pot" like the Western Frontier, and culture clash is certain to run rampant!

Red Dead Redemption Hype Week: 3:10 To Yuma

In anticipation of Red Dead Redemption, you can't miss the 2007 remake of the classic western, 3:10 to Yuma. There's no doubt that Red Dead has drawn a lot of inspiration from movies like this one. A rancher named Dan Evans (played by Christian Bale) needs to come up with enough money to avoid being driven off of his land by an encroaching railroad. It's him against a heartless tycoon and the situation seems hopeless until he crosses paths with the notorious outlaw, Ben Wade (Russell Crowe), who gets captured after a stagecoach robbery. Evans agrees to escort Wade to the town of Contention to catch the 3:10 to Yuma. He'll likely earn enough money to keep his family on the ranch, but the trip promises to be treacherous.

A story about a rancher risking his life for his family and an outlaw who you can't help but like - a perfect film to treat yourself to in anticipation of RDR. With the honor system of RDR, will you be Evans or Wade? Will you earn a living by helping ranchers herd cattle and escorting outlaws to jail? Or will you rob stage coaches and make a few bucks from looting those whom you've gunned down? Will you choose the path of the chivalrous gunslinger fighting to save his family? Or a notorious anti-hero who cares about nothing but revenge?

Red Dead Redemption Hype Week: Red Sun

Tonight's feature film for Red Dead Redemption Hype Week is director Terence Young's 1971 classic Red Sun starring Charles Bronson "as an outlaw named Link who teams up with Kuroda (Toshirô Mifune), a noble samurai warrior, to track down a jeweled sword that the Japanese ambassador gifted to the U.S. president. The unlikely pair travels across the American Southwest in search of Gauche (Alain Delon), who double-crossed Link and made off with the priceless weapon."

It's the old Honor-Among-Thieves theme throughout the movie. Link is a typical anti-hero outlaw train robber without honor, which suits him fine until he gets double-crossed by another outlaw without honor! It's fitting that Link and Kuroda, a Samurai whose entire life depends on finding the sword in 7 days or he will kill himself out of devotion to his master, pair up to try and find Gauche.

We're getting knee-deep in betrayal, robbery, and outlaws, and it's only two days into Red Dead Redemption Hype Week. Stay tuned as we move toward the classics that defined the genre: Spaghetti Westerns.

Red Dead Redemption Hype Week: The Quick and the Dead

In pre-celebration of Red Dead Redemption's release, what better way to roll out the blood red carpet than with a week of good old fashioned Western movies? Tonight's movie was The Quick and the Dead, starring Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, and Leonardo DeCaprio.

Ellen arrives in the Old West town of Redemption (what an appropriate name for this week!) seeking revenge for the murder of her sheriff father years ago by the town's tyrant, John Herod. The majority of the movie revolves around Herod's gun fight competition between the best gun fighters in the town. The brutal fighters include a super-skilled-gun-fighter-turned-preacher, an Indian who can't die by being shot, a suave card player who adds an ace to his deck when he kills someone, and a hired gun who finds killing purely business. The cinematography of the movie guarantees you'll get to see plenty of close ups of guns, faces, zooming in of guns, and zooming in of faces!

Let's see. A town called Redemption. A quest for revenge. A gun fighter competition. A tyrant mayor. This could turn out to be an exciting Red Dead Redemption Hype week!

Shin Wars

Shin Chan did a parody of Star Wars.

Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo

Gankutsuou (which means "King of the Cave") is an anime version of The Count of Monte Cristo, and it is quite a great series. I'm only a few episodes into it, but the story is truly a classic. It is set in a mix of a futuristic world with spaceships and ancient grand castles full of aristocracy, similar to a Final Fantasy world.

I would give an example of some quotes to display the brilliant writing, but every episode is ripe with quotations, and it would be simpler to stream it instantly through Netflix and see the show for yourself.

Purchased Collision

I secured a copy of Collision from Amazon. It will ship on October 27. I am very excited about the movie and hope to be able to watch it with some friends over a nice cold brew.